By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Jan 24: Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah vows to ensure that the proposed Wushu Training and Competition Centre will begin construction this year.
The centre’s construction was scheduled to kick off in February last year but it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO).
“I have contacted Public Works Department (PWD) to look into the reason of why the construction works have not started yet.
“The government has approved the allocation and the site has been procured. What’s left is only the little ‘nitty-gritty’ that we have to finetune,” he said when officiating at the 2021 Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) appreciation night held at Pullman Hotel here last night.
On Nov 30, 2020, Abdul Karim announced that the State Cabinet had already approved the proposed site for the centre with a ceiling cost of RM13.2 million.
Located between the gymnastics stadium and the shooting range off Jalan Stadium (Ring), the proposed centre will be built on a 3.1-acre site.
It will be equipped with two training carpets, a running track, an outdoor warm-up area, a collapsible seating area for up to 800 persons and a stage.
The centre will have natural ventilation and international wushu standard lighting.
Abdul Karim said the sport of wushu had imparted a good name and image to the State with its athletes winning many medals at national and international competitions.
However, the association in charge of looking after the wushu athletes is currently renting a venue with unsuitable conditions for training.
“Therefore, it is only fair for the Sarawak Wushu Federation to have a good place for training and to host competitions so that it can continue to groom good State and national athletes,” he added.
Abdul Karim also disclosed that construction of the new centre will take about 24 months. — DayakDaily
